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CSC's Fabian Cancellara wins stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse with a 5k solo effort.

Another late break for the time trial champ — with some help from the team

Published: Jun. 20, 2008
Cancellara holds 'em off.
Cancellara holds 'em off.
Photo: Graham Watson

CSC's world time trial champion, Fabian Cancellara, won the seventh stage of the Tour de Suisse on Friday with a trademark solo attack in the final kilometers.

Just like Cancellara's win at this year's Milan-San Remo and last July's stage 3 of the Tour de France, Cancellara attacked as the top sprinters were gearing up for a field sprint, and held them off for a narrow victory in a daring display of raw power.

This time, Cancellara joined Lief Hoste and Markus Fothen in a small break about 10k from the finish, built up a ten second lead over the peloton, and then attacked the others with 5k to go.

Tour de Suisse 7 - Cancellara takes a gamble with 5km to go
Tour de Suisse 7 - Cancellara takes a gamble with 5km to go
Photo: Graham Watson

The others were absorbed by the peloton, which chased desperately, closing to within 20 meters of Cancellera at the finish.

Cancellara said that it was a "tough, tough final kilometer."

"I thought I would give (the attack) a try, and once I committed I gave it my best. I was alone out there, but the team really did its part to help me hold the gap."

In the final kilometer, Cancellara's American teammate Bobby Julich worked his way to near the front of the chasing peloton and then let a lit a small gap open up, just enough to disrupt the chase for a few hundred meters, and possibly give his teammate the winning gap.

High Road's Kim Kirchen finished in the bunch and maintained the overall lead he took Thursday.

Tour de Suisse 7 - One more day in yellow.
Tour de Suisse 7 - One more day in yellow.
Photo: Graham Watson

The 170.6-kilometer race from Gruyeres to Lyss featured rolling terrain and finished with three trips around a 27-kilometer finishing circuit in Lyss.

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